As a Blaze and original Charge HR owner, figured I'd try my hand at the newest Fitbit Charge 2. Preordered from Fitbit (as well as one from Amazon). Fitbit direct order arrived yesterday, 9/6/16.
Breaking the review into two parts:
Part One: If you've never owned a Fitbit
This is the mid tier product for Fitbit. It replaces the original best selling Charge & Charge HR. Steps, Flights, Heart Rate, Calories Burned, Connected GPS (shows a little map post workout when tied to your phone, and yes, you need to bring your phone with you on walks/runs), and notifications (as of now, just texts, calendar alerts, and displays phone number of incoming calls). Great intro watch/tracker to be your first Fitbit. Does pretty much everything. Yes there are other trackers out there, and some cheaper (in some you get what you pay for). What separates Fitbit is the software and social functions. You won't find a better app with ease of use, not to mention with the largest userbase of trackers it's much easier to find friends and families to participate in challenges. Read on if you want to know some of the features.
Part Two: If You've Owned A Charge/Charge HR, and should you upgrade?
The Charge watch has been the workhorse of the fitbit line. Worth getting a Charge 2? In a word: YES. Since you're familiar with the Charge already, let's go over some of the issues you may have experienced and highlights/common questions answered:
1) Build Quality: The Charge 2 is a far far superior quality than the original Charge. Right out of the box, you'll notice how much sturdier and thicker the band feels.
2) Swapping out bands is relatively easy. Once you figure out how to press on the band on each side to release, it's fairly painless. I could see someone elderly struggling with it at first. **If you had problems with your original Charge band bubbling, the ability to swap bands and how the tracker is connected to the bands should eliminate the issues you have experienced ** Obviously way too early to make a call on how the device will hold up, but given my experience with Blaze & Alta, this feels similar in build quality, if not better, and neither of those devices have suffered from bands falling apart on a wide scale.
3) Width of the device is nearly identical to the original Charge/HR. The button on the left side of the device is much more pronounced (good thing). You can give it a nice firm click, and it doesn't feel loose or cheap as some of the Charge buttons were prone to.
4) SIZING: The band itself is much longer than the original. I have always worn small in fitbit products, and found myself almost on the last hole. Something to keep in mind if you think you are on the cusp of small/large. Small likely the way to go.
5) Display is nice, 4x larger than the original Charge. The font is displayed crystal clear, and is very bright. Can see it extremely well, even in bright sunlight. It is NOT a color screen. The font is a bright offwhite, as opposed to the original Charge that had a soft almost blue to it. Texts when incoming scroll across the screen.
6) Overall look is sharp. Much better looking than the original. Very sleek and elegant. Actually looks better than the Blaze given thinner profile.
7) Has a breathing/relaxation function. Have only dabbled with this. It actually monitors as you inhale and exhale and prompts you when to take deep breaths, etc. More of a gimmick to me, but some may find this useful.
8) Navigation is relatively easy. When selecting specific workouts (you can customize the list in app), you hit the button on the side to get to the workout screen, then tap to cycle through them (run, weights, treadmill, elliptical, etc). Hold the button and your workout starts. During the workout you can cycle through metrics specific to your activity such as calories burned, heart rate, etc. Some activities will display steps, pace,calories burned, etc.
9) Menu items start with your clock face, then by pressing the button will display Heart Rate, Exercise, Stopwatch, Relax, and Alarm.
10) Clock Faces: There are seven to choose from. Some display day & date, and most have option to where when you tap the display it will cycle through stats (may display heart rate, date, steps taken, how far you are in your goals, your hourly movement reminders, etc). BUT DOES IT HAVE SECONDS? Yes, two of the watch faces are digital (numbers display, not hands) and have seconds displayed. There is only one "classic" watch face with the hands, and no that one does not display a second hand.
11) Notifications: You get basic texts (no pictures of course), both SMS & iMessage. Incoming calls will display the contact and/or phone number. And you get calendar alerts. There is no 3rd party support at this time such as facebook, instagram, etc (The Blaze watch will be offering these soon in next software upgrade, so I guess there is hope the Charge 2 will get those as well).
12) Reminders to Move: Sit on your butt too long and it will thump you with a vibe (250 steps per hour).
Today I put it through its first paces with a workout. I use it mostly for light cardio and weights. Heart rate was spot on as it usually was with original Charge HR & my Blaze. No issues with step counting on the elliptical I used to warm it up. I have not used the watch for 24 hours yet, so have not been able to judge the VOX/Cardio Fitness Level rating new to this device.
PROS:
- It is worth upgrading alone from the Charge/HR simply due to build quality. Pictures do not do it justice. As another poster on a forum where we discuss fitbit devices said, it has that "Apple" quality feel to it. It no longer feels like a cheap rubber tracker. The ability to swap to leather, metal, or other colored bands means you can wear this unit for any occasion if style is your thing. It really does look great.
- Monitoring of heart rate using optical sensors has never been a problem for me, and this one seems to be no different. Obviously some folks have trouble with them due to body hair and whatnot, but the sensors on Charge HR, Blaze, and now Charge 2 seem to be spot on. An issue I had with the original Charge was it getting "lost" when I hit higher cardio levels. This doesn't appear to be as much of an issue this time around. That said, this isn't a medical device, so I expect it to not be 100% all of the time. Use it as a tool in your overall fitness profile.
- The charger itself is a new clip style (looks like a staple remover), and fits over the sides of the tracker. Fits nice and snug and snaps in. It won't fall out of the charge (actually think that's impossible given the design). No more worrying about it not snapping on and falling off or getting it just right. Big improvement.
CONS:
- vibration is notably weaker than the original Charge. May be an issue for some using it as an alarm if you're a heavy sleeper. That said, I wore it very tight to bed last night, and it was able to wake me this morning (something I've had problems with on the Blaze from time to time).
- text notifications are neat if you've never had them. However I have a Blaze, where you can see the whole message at once. The Charge HR slowly scrolls texts and notifications to you, which can be annoying if you're used to the Blaze. They serve their purpose well though, and I can't ding it for this as it's a step up from the original Charge.
VERDICT:
I reviewed it as if I were upgrading from the Charge/HR to this device. It is a no-brainer if you've held on to your Charge/HR and not upgraded yet to the Alta or Blaze for whatever reason. I'd rank the Charge 2 ahead of the Alta. If money is no object, spend the extra $50 to get the Blaze simply due to the color display and easier navigation (not to mention ability to see full texts as they come in). Otherwise, for $150, you'll be very happy to have move up from other Fitbit products. The Blaze is their high end product at the moment, but the Charge 2 is a very close second.
I'll happily answer questions as I did for when I originally reviewed the Blaze out of the gate, and edit this review to reflect common questions or any issues I face as I put the device through its paces in the coming days.
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 | Fitbit Charge 3 Fitness Activity Tracker | Fitbit FB417BKNV Charge 4 Fitness Wristband - Storm Blue | Fitbit Charge 4 Black Advanced Fitness Tracker | Fitbit Charge 4 Fitness Tracker Rosewood NFC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Rating | (21173) | (48986) | (2810) | (640) | (1009) |
| Price | $186.00 | $134.00 | $118.99 | $112.15 | $111.00 |
| Sold By | Annoula's Store | Global Certified Authentic | Aventura Mall | ✅ Blazing Prices | ✅ Blazing Prices |
| Average Battery Life | 5.0 days | 7.0 days | — | — | — |
| Battery Description | Lithium-Ion | — | — | — | — |
| Brand Name | Fitbit | Fitbit | Fitbit | Fitbit | Fitbit |
| Color | Black | Graphite/Black | blue | Black | Rosewood |
| Compatible Devices | Smartphones : smartphones|smart phones|android phones | Smartphones : smartphones|smart phones|android phones | Smartphone | Smartphone | Smartphone |
| Item Dimensions | 8.62 x 0.89 x 0.51 inches | 1.63 x 4.04 x 8.9 inches | 9.72 x 1.13 x 0.49 inches | 1.65 x 4.06 x 8.86 inches | 1.43 x 0.69 x 0.4 inches |
| Item Weight | 1.12 ounces | 1.06 ounces | 0.02 ounces | 3.53 ounces | 0.92 ounces |
| Sensor Type | Temperature | Temperature | — | — | Wearable |
Customer reviews
Fitbit Charge 2 / Apple Watch Comparison
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2016
Why I bought and love the Fitbit Charge 2 instead of the Apple Watch.So about 7 months ago I bought the Fitbit Charge HR for my birthday gift to myself and saying I was a religious user of this new gagit would be an understatement. The Fitbit has changed my life and made me so much more aware of my body and health. It becomes a fun, interactive game about one-upping yourself everyday towards a healthier, fitter life! Because of my love for Fitbit, I recently decided to upgrade to the Charge 2.But before I put my money down for Charge 2, I was on the fence about switch to the Apple Watch, which does all the same heart rate, calorie, step tracker features. After doing research on both, I decided to stay a Fitbit girl. As much as I would have liked to be able to answer a call, shoot out a text or check the weather from my wrist, there were a fundamental features the Fitbit had that made my decition not to switch. (Besides, don't we all have too much technology bugging us throughout the day as it is???)Here are my reasons for sticking with Fitbit:PROS:1) Battery LifeThe Apple Watch needs to be charged every night after being used throughout the day. The Apple Watch takes 2.5 hours to charge back to 100% from zero. This didn't work for me. I love that I can keep my Fitbit on all day and all night. Its imparitive that I track my sleep for health reasons and I also want my daily calorie burn to be accurate. With my old Fitbit Charge HR, I only needed to charge it for about 30 mins while I showered every 2-3 days. And now with the Fitbit Charge 2, I'm down to charging it for just 30 mins every 5 days. It's amazing!2) Calender Reminders: I am a planner! There is not one hour of my day that goes unscheduled in my iPhone calendar. I love that the Charge 2 is Bluetooth compatible to receive calendar notifications that pop up on the screen. [Ex: Meeting in 15mins at 4:00pm] I find this really helpful to keep me on track with my day without having to look at my phone. This feature also allows texts to pop up on your Fitbit screen but I keep this disabled to diminish distraction.3) Exchangeable BandsI love how the Charge 2 allows you to switch out the band with its exchangeable different colored and styled bands. It's pretty easy to do, but (warning) I bought bands from an 'off brand' company on Amazon and they are a bit tougher to pop out. I have to use a tool to push down on the release buttons to get them off. The 'off brand' bands are also longer so there is always extra band that I have to tack down even tho I ordered a small. I would spend the extra money and buy Fitbit's bands. (I took a photo of this.. the purple band is the generic brand.. you can see its quality and length is different)4) Look & FlexibilityI love the Charge 2's large screen with fun grafics and it's less bulky and more flexible than my first Fitbit Charge HR. I felt the Apple Watch was not as sleek, more masculine and less flexiblilty for workouts. Just kind of boxy. I liked the idea of being able to Bluetooth my music from the watch or track a run with it's GPS, but it wasn't as comfortable. (Also being able to do more things with it is why I think I'd battery life is so poor)5) Silent AlarmMy old Fitbit Charge HR has this feature as well, but it's worth mentioning because it's changed the tone to my every morning now! You may set waking alarms or alarm reminders throughout the day that gently vibrate on wrist. No more noisy alarms and scrambling to turn it off. Just soft vibration pulses that don't jult you awake. I - love - this.6) Simple & User-FriendlyThe Apple Watch's processing is just too slow. I become frustrated very easily when my iPhone takes too slow... I didn't want to have to deal with that on my wrist as well. I love the simplicity of the Fitbit Charge 2 in that you can just pull up your wrist to see the time and your heart rate and tap through to see steps, calories, miles etc. (You can customize your home screen and stat order in the app)7) Extra (New) FeaturesThe stopwatch is super helpful and I love the assisted assisted breathing trainer. You can select either 2 or 5 min meditation / breathing sessions that visually cue you to slow your breathing and help to calm and center you throughout the day. These can be put on a schedule and you will be reminded.Added bonus**The feature where you put up your arm and the screen turns on automatically to show your home screen is much quicker and more consistent in this model.. I used to be frustrated with the HR when I would have my hands full and the screen wouldn't come up to show me the time.FITBIT CONSThe only con I experienced with both the Fitbit Charge HR & Charge 2 is that while I'm working out, the heart rate senso isn't always able to read your pulse. I think it is due to the slight sweat that builds up under the band where the sensor is. I hope for future models they are able to fix this and make it able to read heart rate no mater what as long as it's on your wrist.And if I had a wishlist: I'd love to see the weather/temperature on my Fitbit. Thanks:)))p.s. Please like this if you found this helpful. I never wrote reviews let alone reviews this long but I hope it helped!6 MONTH UPDATE!!!!The screen cracked straight down the middle and I don't even know how, I just looked down one day and it was like this.... not too happy. Also I wish the band was skinnier. I am starting to get a tan line from wearing the thicker band. I want a high quality Fitbit that is water proof, slim, and has wearable clip options rather than just a band.
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2016
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Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2016
Breaking the review into two parts:
Part One: If you've never owned a Fitbit
This is the mid tier product for Fitbit. It replaces the original best selling Charge & Charge HR. Steps, Flights, Heart Rate, Calories Burned, Connected GPS (shows a little map post workout when tied to your phone, and yes, you need to bring your phone with you on walks/runs), and notifications (as of now, just texts, calendar alerts, and displays phone number of incoming calls). Great intro watch/tracker to be your first Fitbit. Does pretty much everything. Yes there are other trackers out there, and some cheaper (in some you get what you pay for). What separates Fitbit is the software and social functions. You won't find a better app with ease of use, not to mention with the largest userbase of trackers it's much easier to find friends and families to participate in challenges. Read on if you want to know some of the features.
Part Two: If You've Owned A Charge/Charge HR, and should you upgrade?
The Charge watch has been the workhorse of the fitbit line. Worth getting a Charge 2? In a word: YES. Since you're familiar with the Charge already, let's go over some of the issues you may have experienced and highlights/common questions answered:
1) Build Quality: The Charge 2 is a far far superior quality than the original Charge. Right out of the box, you'll notice how much sturdier and thicker the band feels.
2) Swapping out bands is relatively easy. Once you figure out how to press on the band on each side to release, it's fairly painless. I could see someone elderly struggling with it at first. **If you had problems with your original Charge band bubbling, the ability to swap bands and how the tracker is connected to the bands should eliminate the issues you have experienced ** Obviously way too early to make a call on how the device will hold up, but given my experience with Blaze & Alta, this feels similar in build quality, if not better, and neither of those devices have suffered from bands falling apart on a wide scale.
3) Width of the device is nearly identical to the original Charge/HR. The button on the left side of the device is much more pronounced (good thing). You can give it a nice firm click, and it doesn't feel loose or cheap as some of the Charge buttons were prone to.
4) SIZING: The band itself is much longer than the original. I have always worn small in fitbit products, and found myself almost on the last hole. Something to keep in mind if you think you are on the cusp of small/large. Small likely the way to go.
5) Display is nice, 4x larger than the original Charge. The font is displayed crystal clear, and is very bright. Can see it extremely well, even in bright sunlight. It is NOT a color screen. The font is a bright offwhite, as opposed to the original Charge that had a soft almost blue to it. Texts when incoming scroll across the screen.
6) Overall look is sharp. Much better looking than the original. Very sleek and elegant. Actually looks better than the Blaze given thinner profile.
7) Has a breathing/relaxation function. Have only dabbled with this. It actually monitors as you inhale and exhale and prompts you when to take deep breaths, etc. More of a gimmick to me, but some may find this useful.
8) Navigation is relatively easy. When selecting specific workouts (you can customize the list in app), you hit the button on the side to get to the workout screen, then tap to cycle through them (run, weights, treadmill, elliptical, etc). Hold the button and your workout starts. During the workout you can cycle through metrics specific to your activity such as calories burned, heart rate, etc. Some activities will display steps, pace,calories burned, etc.
9) Menu items start with your clock face, then by pressing the button will display Heart Rate, Exercise, Stopwatch, Relax, and Alarm.
10) Clock Faces: There are seven to choose from. Some display day & date, and most have option to where when you tap the display it will cycle through stats (may display heart rate, date, steps taken, how far you are in your goals, your hourly movement reminders, etc). BUT DOES IT HAVE SECONDS? Yes, two of the watch faces are digital (numbers display, not hands) and have seconds displayed. There is only one "classic" watch face with the hands, and no that one does not display a second hand.
11) Notifications: You get basic texts (no pictures of course), both SMS & iMessage. Incoming calls will display the contact and/or phone number. And you get calendar alerts. There is no 3rd party support at this time such as facebook, instagram, etc (The Blaze watch will be offering these soon in next software upgrade, so I guess there is hope the Charge 2 will get those as well).
12) Reminders to Move: Sit on your butt too long and it will thump you with a vibe (250 steps per hour).
Today I put it through its first paces with a workout. I use it mostly for light cardio and weights. Heart rate was spot on as it usually was with original Charge HR & my Blaze. No issues with step counting on the elliptical I used to warm it up. I have not used the watch for 24 hours yet, so have not been able to judge the VOX/Cardio Fitness Level rating new to this device.
PROS:
- It is worth upgrading alone from the Charge/HR simply due to build quality. Pictures do not do it justice. As another poster on a forum where we discuss fitbit devices said, it has that "Apple" quality feel to it. It no longer feels like a cheap rubber tracker. The ability to swap to leather, metal, or other colored bands means you can wear this unit for any occasion if style is your thing. It really does look great.
- Monitoring of heart rate using optical sensors has never been a problem for me, and this one seems to be no different. Obviously some folks have trouble with them due to body hair and whatnot, but the sensors on Charge HR, Blaze, and now Charge 2 seem to be spot on. An issue I had with the original Charge was it getting "lost" when I hit higher cardio levels. This doesn't appear to be as much of an issue this time around. That said, this isn't a medical device, so I expect it to not be 100% all of the time. Use it as a tool in your overall fitness profile.
- The charger itself is a new clip style (looks like a staple remover), and fits over the sides of the tracker. Fits nice and snug and snaps in. It won't fall out of the charge (actually think that's impossible given the design). No more worrying about it not snapping on and falling off or getting it just right. Big improvement.
CONS:
- vibration is notably weaker than the original Charge. May be an issue for some using it as an alarm if you're a heavy sleeper. That said, I wore it very tight to bed last night, and it was able to wake me this morning (something I've had problems with on the Blaze from time to time).
- text notifications are neat if you've never had them. However I have a Blaze, where you can see the whole message at once. The Charge HR slowly scrolls texts and notifications to you, which can be annoying if you're used to the Blaze. They serve their purpose well though, and I can't ding it for this as it's a step up from the original Charge.
VERDICT:
I reviewed it as if I were upgrading from the Charge/HR to this device. It is a no-brainer if you've held on to your Charge/HR and not upgraded yet to the Alta or Blaze for whatever reason. I'd rank the Charge 2 ahead of the Alta. If money is no object, spend the extra $50 to get the Blaze simply due to the color display and easier navigation (not to mention ability to see full texts as they come in). Otherwise, for $150, you'll be very happy to have move up from other Fitbit products. The Blaze is their high end product at the moment, but the Charge 2 is a very close second.
I'll happily answer questions as I did for when I originally reviewed the Blaze out of the gate, and edit this review to reflect common questions or any issues I face as I put the device through its paces in the coming days.
Color: BlackSize: Large (Pack of 1)Verified Purchase
(Long, In Depth Review) Great Device, Build Quality Way Better Than Original Charge (HR)
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2016
As a Blaze and original Charge HR owner, figured I'd try my hand at the newest Fitbit Charge 2. Preordered from Fitbit (as well as one from Amazon). Fitbit direct order arrived yesterday, 9/6/16.Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2016
Breaking the review into two parts:
Part One: If you've never owned a Fitbit
This is the mid tier product for Fitbit. It replaces the original best selling Charge & Charge HR. Steps, Flights, Heart Rate, Calories Burned, Connected GPS (shows a little map post workout when tied to your phone, and yes, you need to bring your phone with you on walks/runs), and notifications (as of now, just texts, calendar alerts, and displays phone number of incoming calls). Great intro watch/tracker to be your first Fitbit. Does pretty much everything. Yes there are other trackers out there, and some cheaper (in some you get what you pay for). What separates Fitbit is the software and social functions. You won't find a better app with ease of use, not to mention with the largest userbase of trackers it's much easier to find friends and families to participate in challenges. Read on if you want to know some of the features.
Part Two: If You've Owned A Charge/Charge HR, and should you upgrade?
The Charge watch has been the workhorse of the fitbit line. Worth getting a Charge 2? In a word: YES. Since you're familiar with the Charge already, let's go over some of the issues you may have experienced and highlights/common questions answered:
1) Build Quality: The Charge 2 is a far far superior quality than the original Charge. Right out of the box, you'll notice how much sturdier and thicker the band feels.
2) Swapping out bands is relatively easy. Once you figure out how to press on the band on each side to release, it's fairly painless. I could see someone elderly struggling with it at first. **If you had problems with your original Charge band bubbling, the ability to swap bands and how the tracker is connected to the bands should eliminate the issues you have experienced ** Obviously way too early to make a call on how the device will hold up, but given my experience with Blaze & Alta, this feels similar in build quality, if not better, and neither of those devices have suffered from bands falling apart on a wide scale.
3) Width of the device is nearly identical to the original Charge/HR. The button on the left side of the device is much more pronounced (good thing). You can give it a nice firm click, and it doesn't feel loose or cheap as some of the Charge buttons were prone to.
4) SIZING: The band itself is much longer than the original. I have always worn small in fitbit products, and found myself almost on the last hole. Something to keep in mind if you think you are on the cusp of small/large. Small likely the way to go.
5) Display is nice, 4x larger than the original Charge. The font is displayed crystal clear, and is very bright. Can see it extremely well, even in bright sunlight. It is NOT a color screen. The font is a bright offwhite, as opposed to the original Charge that had a soft almost blue to it. Texts when incoming scroll across the screen.
6) Overall look is sharp. Much better looking than the original. Very sleek and elegant. Actually looks better than the Blaze given thinner profile.
7) Has a breathing/relaxation function. Have only dabbled with this. It actually monitors as you inhale and exhale and prompts you when to take deep breaths, etc. More of a gimmick to me, but some may find this useful.
8) Navigation is relatively easy. When selecting specific workouts (you can customize the list in app), you hit the button on the side to get to the workout screen, then tap to cycle through them (run, weights, treadmill, elliptical, etc). Hold the button and your workout starts. During the workout you can cycle through metrics specific to your activity such as calories burned, heart rate, etc. Some activities will display steps, pace,calories burned, etc.
9) Menu items start with your clock face, then by pressing the button will display Heart Rate, Exercise, Stopwatch, Relax, and Alarm.
10) Clock Faces: There are seven to choose from. Some display day & date, and most have option to where when you tap the display it will cycle through stats (may display heart rate, date, steps taken, how far you are in your goals, your hourly movement reminders, etc). BUT DOES IT HAVE SECONDS? Yes, two of the watch faces are digital (numbers display, not hands) and have seconds displayed. There is only one "classic" watch face with the hands, and no that one does not display a second hand.
11) Notifications: You get basic texts (no pictures of course), both SMS & iMessage. Incoming calls will display the contact and/or phone number. And you get calendar alerts. There is no 3rd party support at this time such as facebook, instagram, etc (The Blaze watch will be offering these soon in next software upgrade, so I guess there is hope the Charge 2 will get those as well).
12) Reminders to Move: Sit on your butt too long and it will thump you with a vibe (250 steps per hour).
Today I put it through its first paces with a workout. I use it mostly for light cardio and weights. Heart rate was spot on as it usually was with original Charge HR & my Blaze. No issues with step counting on the elliptical I used to warm it up. I have not used the watch for 24 hours yet, so have not been able to judge the VOX/Cardio Fitness Level rating new to this device.
PROS:
- It is worth upgrading alone from the Charge/HR simply due to build quality. Pictures do not do it justice. As another poster on a forum where we discuss fitbit devices said, it has that "Apple" quality feel to it. It no longer feels like a cheap rubber tracker. The ability to swap to leather, metal, or other colored bands means you can wear this unit for any occasion if style is your thing. It really does look great.
- Monitoring of heart rate using optical sensors has never been a problem for me, and this one seems to be no different. Obviously some folks have trouble with them due to body hair and whatnot, but the sensors on Charge HR, Blaze, and now Charge 2 seem to be spot on. An issue I had with the original Charge was it getting "lost" when I hit higher cardio levels. This doesn't appear to be as much of an issue this time around. That said, this isn't a medical device, so I expect it to not be 100% all of the time. Use it as a tool in your overall fitness profile.
- The charger itself is a new clip style (looks like a staple remover), and fits over the sides of the tracker. Fits nice and snug and snaps in. It won't fall out of the charge (actually think that's impossible given the design). No more worrying about it not snapping on and falling off or getting it just right. Big improvement.
CONS:
- vibration is notably weaker than the original Charge. May be an issue for some using it as an alarm if you're a heavy sleeper. That said, I wore it very tight to bed last night, and it was able to wake me this morning (something I've had problems with on the Blaze from time to time).
- text notifications are neat if you've never had them. However I have a Blaze, where you can see the whole message at once. The Charge HR slowly scrolls texts and notifications to you, which can be annoying if you're used to the Blaze. They serve their purpose well though, and I can't ding it for this as it's a step up from the original Charge.
VERDICT:
I reviewed it as if I were upgrading from the Charge/HR to this device. It is a no-brainer if you've held on to your Charge/HR and not upgraded yet to the Alta or Blaze for whatever reason. I'd rank the Charge 2 ahead of the Alta. If money is no object, spend the extra $50 to get the Blaze simply due to the color display and easier navigation (not to mention ability to see full texts as they come in). Otherwise, for $150, you'll be very happy to have move up from other Fitbit products. The Blaze is their high end product at the moment, but the Charge 2 is a very close second.
I'll happily answer questions as I did for when I originally reviewed the Blaze out of the gate, and edit this review to reflect common questions or any issues I face as I put the device through its paces in the coming days.
Images in this review
My advise, do not ever buy anything from this company. I know I won't make that mistake again. Worst customer service ever.
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2018Color: BlackSize: Large (Pack of 1)Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2016
So about 7 months ago I bought the Fitbit Charge HR for my birthday gift to myself and saying I was a religious user of this new gagit would be an understatement. The Fitbit has changed my life and made me so much more aware of my body and health. It becomes a fun, interactive game about one-upping yourself everyday towards a healthier, fitter life! Because of my love for Fitbit, I recently decided to upgrade to the Charge 2.
But before I put my money down for Charge 2, I was on the fence about switch to the Apple Watch, which does all the same heart rate, calorie, step tracker features. After doing research on both, I decided to stay a Fitbit girl. As much as I would have liked to be able to answer a call, shoot out a text or check the weather from my wrist, there were a fundamental features the Fitbit had that made my decition not to switch. (Besides, don't we all have too much technology bugging us throughout the day as it is???)
Here are my reasons for sticking with Fitbit:
PROS:
1) Battery Life
The Apple Watch needs to be charged every night after being used throughout the day. The Apple Watch takes 2.5 hours to charge back to 100% from zero. This didn't work for me. I love that I can keep my Fitbit on all day and all night. Its imparitive that I track my sleep for health reasons and I also want my daily calorie burn to be accurate. With my old Fitbit Charge HR, I only needed to charge it for about 30 mins while I showered every 2-3 days. And now with the Fitbit Charge 2, I'm down to charging it for just 30 mins every 5 days. It's amazing!
2) Calender Reminders: I am a planner! There is not one hour of my day that goes unscheduled in my iPhone calendar. I love that the Charge 2 is Bluetooth compatible to receive calendar notifications that pop up on the screen. [Ex: Meeting in 15mins at 4:00pm] I find this really helpful to keep me on track with my day without having to look at my phone. This feature also allows texts to pop up on your Fitbit screen but I keep this disabled to diminish distraction.
3) Exchangeable Bands
I love how the Charge 2 allows you to switch out the band with its exchangeable different colored and styled bands. It's pretty easy to do, but (warning) I bought bands from an 'off brand' company on Amazon and they are a bit tougher to pop out. I have to use a tool to push down on the release buttons to get them off. The 'off brand' bands are also longer so there is always extra band that I have to tack down even tho I ordered a small. I would spend the extra money and buy Fitbit's bands. (I took a photo of this.. the purple band is the generic brand.. you can see its quality and length is different)
4) Look & Flexibility
I love the Charge 2's large screen with fun grafics and it's less bulky and more flexible than my first Fitbit Charge HR. I felt the Apple Watch was not as sleek, more masculine and less flexiblilty for workouts. Just kind of boxy. I liked the idea of being able to Bluetooth my music from the watch or track a run with it's GPS, but it wasn't as comfortable. (Also being able to do more things with it is why I think I'd battery life is so poor)
5) Silent Alarm
My old Fitbit Charge HR has this feature as well, but it's worth mentioning because it's changed the tone to my every morning now! You may set waking alarms or alarm reminders throughout the day that gently vibrate on wrist. No more noisy alarms and scrambling to turn it off. Just soft vibration pulses that don't jult you awake. I - love - this.
6) Simple & User-Friendly
The Apple Watch's processing is just too slow. I become frustrated very easily when my iPhone takes too slow... I didn't want to have to deal with that on my wrist as well. I love the simplicity of the Fitbit Charge 2 in that you can just pull up your wrist to see the time and your heart rate and tap through to see steps, calories, miles etc. (You can customize your home screen and stat order in the app)
7) Extra (New) Features
The stopwatch is super helpful and I love the assisted assisted breathing trainer. You can select either 2 or 5 min meditation / breathing sessions that visually cue you to slow your breathing and help to calm and center you throughout the day. These can be put on a schedule and you will be reminded.
Added bonus**
The feature where you put up your arm and the screen turns on automatically to show your home screen is much quicker and more consistent in this model.. I used to be frustrated with the HR when I would have my hands full and the screen wouldn't come up to show me the time.
FITBIT CONS
The only con I experienced with both the Fitbit Charge HR & Charge 2 is that while I'm working out, the heart rate senso isn't always able to read your pulse. I think it is due to the slight sweat that builds up under the band where the sensor is. I hope for future models they are able to fix this and make it able to read heart rate no mater what as long as it's on your wrist.
And if I had a wishlist: I'd love to see the weather/temperature on my Fitbit. Thanks:)))
p.s. Please like this if you found this helpful. I never wrote reviews let alone reviews this long but I hope it helped!
6 MONTH UPDATE!!!!
The screen cracked straight down the middle and I don't even know how, I just looked down one day and it was like this.... not too happy. Also I wish the band was skinnier. I am starting to get a tan line from wearing the thicker band. I want a high quality Fitbit that is water proof, slim, and has wearable clip options rather than just a band.
Color: BlackSize: Small (Pack of 1)Verified Purchase
Fitbit Charge 2 / Apple Watch Comparison
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2016
Why I bought and love the Fitbit Charge 2 instead of the Apple Watch.Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2016
So about 7 months ago I bought the Fitbit Charge HR for my birthday gift to myself and saying I was a religious user of this new gagit would be an understatement. The Fitbit has changed my life and made me so much more aware of my body and health. It becomes a fun, interactive game about one-upping yourself everyday towards a healthier, fitter life! Because of my love for Fitbit, I recently decided to upgrade to the Charge 2.
But before I put my money down for Charge 2, I was on the fence about switch to the Apple Watch, which does all the same heart rate, calorie, step tracker features. After doing research on both, I decided to stay a Fitbit girl. As much as I would have liked to be able to answer a call, shoot out a text or check the weather from my wrist, there were a fundamental features the Fitbit had that made my decition not to switch. (Besides, don't we all have too much technology bugging us throughout the day as it is???)
Here are my reasons for sticking with Fitbit:
PROS:
1) Battery Life
The Apple Watch needs to be charged every night after being used throughout the day. The Apple Watch takes 2.5 hours to charge back to 100% from zero. This didn't work for me. I love that I can keep my Fitbit on all day and all night. Its imparitive that I track my sleep for health reasons and I also want my daily calorie burn to be accurate. With my old Fitbit Charge HR, I only needed to charge it for about 30 mins while I showered every 2-3 days. And now with the Fitbit Charge 2, I'm down to charging it for just 30 mins every 5 days. It's amazing!
2) Calender Reminders: I am a planner! There is not one hour of my day that goes unscheduled in my iPhone calendar. I love that the Charge 2 is Bluetooth compatible to receive calendar notifications that pop up on the screen. [Ex: Meeting in 15mins at 4:00pm] I find this really helpful to keep me on track with my day without having to look at my phone. This feature also allows texts to pop up on your Fitbit screen but I keep this disabled to diminish distraction.
3) Exchangeable Bands
I love how the Charge 2 allows you to switch out the band with its exchangeable different colored and styled bands. It's pretty easy to do, but (warning) I bought bands from an 'off brand' company on Amazon and they are a bit tougher to pop out. I have to use a tool to push down on the release buttons to get them off. The 'off brand' bands are also longer so there is always extra band that I have to tack down even tho I ordered a small. I would spend the extra money and buy Fitbit's bands. (I took a photo of this.. the purple band is the generic brand.. you can see its quality and length is different)
4) Look & Flexibility
I love the Charge 2's large screen with fun grafics and it's less bulky and more flexible than my first Fitbit Charge HR. I felt the Apple Watch was not as sleek, more masculine and less flexiblilty for workouts. Just kind of boxy. I liked the idea of being able to Bluetooth my music from the watch or track a run with it's GPS, but it wasn't as comfortable. (Also being able to do more things with it is why I think I'd battery life is so poor)
5) Silent Alarm
My old Fitbit Charge HR has this feature as well, but it's worth mentioning because it's changed the tone to my every morning now! You may set waking alarms or alarm reminders throughout the day that gently vibrate on wrist. No more noisy alarms and scrambling to turn it off. Just soft vibration pulses that don't jult you awake. I - love - this.
6) Simple & User-Friendly
The Apple Watch's processing is just too slow. I become frustrated very easily when my iPhone takes too slow... I didn't want to have to deal with that on my wrist as well. I love the simplicity of the Fitbit Charge 2 in that you can just pull up your wrist to see the time and your heart rate and tap through to see steps, calories, miles etc. (You can customize your home screen and stat order in the app)
7) Extra (New) Features
The stopwatch is super helpful and I love the assisted assisted breathing trainer. You can select either 2 or 5 min meditation / breathing sessions that visually cue you to slow your breathing and help to calm and center you throughout the day. These can be put on a schedule and you will be reminded.
Added bonus**
The feature where you put up your arm and the screen turns on automatically to show your home screen is much quicker and more consistent in this model.. I used to be frustrated with the HR when I would have my hands full and the screen wouldn't come up to show me the time.
FITBIT CONS
The only con I experienced with both the Fitbit Charge HR & Charge 2 is that while I'm working out, the heart rate senso isn't always able to read your pulse. I think it is due to the slight sweat that builds up under the band where the sensor is. I hope for future models they are able to fix this and make it able to read heart rate no mater what as long as it's on your wrist.
And if I had a wishlist: I'd love to see the weather/temperature on my Fitbit. Thanks:)))
p.s. Please like this if you found this helpful. I never wrote reviews let alone reviews this long but I hope it helped!
6 MONTH UPDATE!!!!
The screen cracked straight down the middle and I don't even know how, I just looked down one day and it was like this.... not too happy. Also I wish the band was skinnier. I am starting to get a tan line from wearing the thicker band. I want a high quality Fitbit that is water proof, slim, and has wearable clip options rather than just a band.
Images in this review
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